USSVI Mid Atlantic Base

05/09/2026

05/04/2026

On Eternal Patrol - The Loss of USS Lagarto (SS-371) 4 May 1945

LAGARTO, under CDR F. D. Latta, departed Subic Bay, P. I., on 12 April 1945, for her second patrol in the South China Sea. On 27 April, she was directed to the outer part of Siam Gulf.

LAGARTO contacted BAYA, already patrolling in Siam Gulf on 2 May 1945, and exchanged calls with her by SJ radar. Later that day BAYA sent LAGARTO a contact report on a convoy she had contacted consisting of one tanker, one auxiliary and two destroyers. LAGARTO soon reported being in contact with the convoy, and began coming in for an attack with BAYA. However the enemy escorts were equipped with 10 cm radar, and detected BAYA and drove her off with gunfire, whereupon the two submarines decided to wait and plan a subsequent attack.

Early on the morning of 3 May 1945, LAGARTO and BAYA made a rendezvous at about 7° 55'N, 102° 18'E and discussed plans. LAGARTO was to dive on the convoy's track to make a contact at 1400, while BAYA was to be ten to fifteen miles further along the track. During the day, numerous contact reports were exchanged. At 0010 on 4 May after a prolonged but unsuccessful attack, BAYA was finally driven off by the alert escorts, and no further contact of any kind was ever made with LAGARTO.

Japanese information now available records an attack on a U. S. submarine made by the minelayer HATSUTAKA, believed to be one of the two radar-equipped escorts of the convoy attacked. The attack was made at 7° 55'N, 102° 00'E in about 30 fathoms of water, and in view of the information presented above, the attack here described must be presumed to be the one which sank LAGARTO.

In May 2005, a group of private deep-sea divers, led by British wreck diver Jamie MacLeod, discovered the wreck in 70 metres (230 ft) of water in the Gulf of Thailand. The wreck is mostly intact and sitting upright on the ocean floor. During the dive, a large rupture was discovered on the port bow area, suggesting a depth charge as the catalyst to her sinking. Also observed during the dive was an open torpedo tube door, with an empty torpedo tube behind it, suggesting the possibility that Lagarto fired off a torpedo shortly before her sinking.
In June 2006, Navy divers from USS Salvor surveyed and photographed the wreck for six days. More evidence was seen that this is Lagarto. Twin 5-inch gun mounts were seen on the forward and rear parts of the ship. "Manitowoc" was seen on the propellers providing a connection to the Manitowoc, Wisconsin shipyard. The pictures were sent back to naval archeologists for further review. After viewing the evidence provided by the Salvor divers, it was confirmed that this was indeed Lagarto.

Lagarto received one battle star for World War II service.

http://www.oneternalpatrol.com/uss-lagarto-371-loss.htm

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Lagarto

05/01/2026

1 May 1989 - USS Barbel (SS-580) loses three men overboard while on surface off Japan

Barbel embarked on a cruise on 30 April 1989. The next day, however, two hours and forty minutes into the mid watch, a huge wave swamped the boat on the surface, sweeping three men overboard and plunging the submarine underwater. Although she quickly surfaced, water flowed into the boat and threatened to flood the battery compartment. After radioing for assistance, the crew began searching for their missing shipmates. One man was rescued at 0654 but, despite the help from friendly ships and planes, the other two were never found. After returning to Sasebo on 2 May, the boat underwent a series of repairs, inspections and underway examinations to determine her seaworthiness. After the Navy concluded the boat was not worth a full refit, the submarine departed Japan on 18 September and sailed for Hawaii. She arrived in Pearl Harbor on 3 October.

Due to extensive damage from flooding, the decision was made to decommission. Barbel was decommissioned at Pearl on 4 December 1989. Stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 17 January 1990, the boat was sunk as a target off southern California on 30 January 2001.

USS Barbel (SS-580) was the lead ship of her class of submarines in the United States Navy. She was the second Navy ship named for the barbel, a cyprinoid fish, commonly called a minnow or carp.

The contract to build Barbel was awarded to Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine on 24 August 1955 and her keel was laid down on 18 May 1956. She was launched on 19 July 1958 sponsored by Mrs. Bernard L. Austin, and commissioned on 17 January 1959, with Lieutenant Commander Ord Kimzey, Jr., in command.

Photo: Port side view of the Barbel (SS-580) underway in this undated photo

https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/b/barbel-ii.html

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Barbel_(SS-580)
Photos: http://navsource.org/archives/08/08580.htm

04/26/2026

USS Lafayette (SSBN-616), the lead ship of her class of ballistic missile submarine, was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named to honor Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, a French military hero who fought alongside and significantly aided the Continental Army during the American...

04/26/2026

04/26/2026

Welcome to the fleet! 🙌🎊🎉⚓️🇺🇸

📍 GROTON, Conn. —The Navy commissioned the Virginia-class fast-attack submarine USS Idaho (SSN 799) in a traditional ceremony held Saturday, April 25, at Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, Connecticut.

The ceremony marked the culmination of a multi-year construction process and officially brought the USS Idaho into the fleet.

It is the fifth U.S. Navy vessel named for the Gem State. The most recent predecessor, USS Idaho (BB-42), was a New Mexico-class battleship commissioned in 1919 that earned seven battle stars for its service in World War II, including action at Iwo Jima and Okinawa.

U.S. Senator James Risch of Idaho delivered the principal address as the ceremony's keynote speaker.

The Honorable Hung Cao, Acting Secretary of the Navy, also delivered remarks, emphasizing the strategic importance of the new submarine.

"We are a maritime nation, bordering on both the Atlantic and the Pacific. Our commerce depends on safe and secure sea lanes of communication," Cao stated. "President Trump’s commission to our military is simple: to achieve Peace Through Strength. The USS Idaho joins the fleet ready to answer the call to action, in any ocean, at any time."

Cmdr. Chad J. Guillerault, Idaho’s commanding officer, addressed the attendees, speaking on behalf of the crew and the submarine's rich heritage.

“The Idaho connection is more than a name, it is a legacy – a legacy built before us that is being reborn today," Guillerault declared. "I am incredibly proud to be the commissioning captain of a vessel so steeped in tradition... and most importantly, honored to be the captain of a crew so mighty that they have outshone all those before them.”

The ship’s sponsor, Mrs. Teresa Stackley, gave the traditional order to “man our ship and bring her to life,” at which point the crew ceremonially ran aboard to man the submarine.

“This moment is for you, Cmdr. Guillerault, and your crew,” Stackley said. “Please note that when you sail, my heart sails with you.”

Other distinguished speakers at the ceremony included Idaho Governor Brad Little, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal, U.S. Representative Joe Courtney, and U.S. Representative Michael Simpson. Adm. William Houston, Director of Naval Reactors, also provided remarks highlighting the technical achievement and operational readiness of the vessel.

Idaho (SSN 799) is the 26th Virginia-class submarine and the eighth of the advanced Block IV configuration. The submarine was built under a teaming agreement between General Dynamics Electric Boat and HII-Newport News Shipbuilding.

The ship was christened on March 16, 2024, at the Electric Boat shipyard in Groton.

As the newest submarine to join the fleet, Idaho (SSN 799) brings cutting-edge warfighting capability to the nation's undersea forces.

Virginia-class submarines feature enhanced stealth, sophisticated surveillance capabilities, and special warfare enhancements to meet the Navy’s multi-mission requirements.

These submarines are 7,800 tons, 377 feet in length, and have a beam of 34 feet. They are powered by a nuclear reactor plant that will not require refueling during the planned life of the ship, reducing lifecycle costs and increasing operational availability.

The commissioning of the USS Idaho reinforces the Navy's commitment to maritime superiority and national security.

For 250 years, American naval power has projected strength across the globe. That mission continues and intensifies with the addition of the nation's most advanced undersea assets.